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BMW i3 batteries provide energy storage for UK wind farm
The UK is now home to one of the largest energy storage projects using EV batteries. Vattenfall has connected a total of 500 BMW i3 batteries to the Pen y Cymoedd onshore wind farm in Wales, creating the biggest co-located installation in the UK. The add-on (housed in six containers like the one above) will help provide a more reliable source of renewable energy -- it'll provide consistent, readily available power.
UK National Grid plans superfast country-wide EV charging network
Range anxiety could soon be a thing of the past for electric vehicle drivers in the UK, as National Grid is proposing a network of superfast charging points that would mean 90 percent of motorists would always be within 50 miles of a charging station. The strategically-placed points would offer up to 350KW of power, drawn directly from the country's high-voltage power grid, which is managed by the company, and could charge a car in between five and 12 minutes -- much faster than the 20 to 40 minutes it currently takes.
Tesla Powerpacks will supply Nantucket’s backup power
Tesla has been boosting power grids all over the world with its Powerpack battery systems and now its energy storage products are heading to Nantucket, Electrek reports. The island will host over 200 Powerpacks that will serve as backup power and grid stabilizers for Nantucket's 11,000 permanent residents and nearly 40,000 seasonal visitors.
Strong winds and clear skies help set UK renewable energy record
This week saw more milestones for renewable energy after the National Grid confirmed that power from green sources supplied more than half of UK energy for the first time. On Wednesday lunchtime, power from solar, wind, hydro and biomass accounted for 50.7 percent of energy production. In another UK first, nuclear, wind and solar each generated more electricity than coal and gas combined.
Britain's new electricity 'T-pylons' carry power with style
Electricity pylons might be a vital part of the UK's power infrastructure, but they sure ain't the prettiest of things, especially when towering over otherwise unspoiled countryside. Their design hasn't changed in nearly a century, but soon you could start seeing a new, much sleeker type of pylon dotting the landscape. Winner of a 2011 competition seeking fresh and more attractive designs, the "T-pylon" is a far cry from our familiar steel lattice structures, with a lone trunk sprouting two arms that support power cables in a diamond arrangement. Ahead of going into formal use, the construction of the first T-pylon test site is now underway at the National Grid's training academy in rural Nottinghamshire. They're not designed to replace what we have already, but will serve as another option in areas where its looks and smaller footprint "can offer real advantages."
Nest Energy Services link home cooling to utilities' cloud data
As clever as the Nest Learning Thermostat can be, its intelligence only extends as far as the front door: it hasn't really been aware of how neighbors or the seasons affect our power bills. Nest Labs is improving that connection to the outside world through Nest Energy Services, a new program that links its device to the collective, cloud-based knowledge of utility companies. When owners are with an Energy Services-aware provider, the thermostat will know when to brace for an energy "rush hour" and automatically limit its cooling during peak (read: expensive) periods. It also gives a heads-up for seasonal discounts that fine-tune the temperature schedule over the course of a few weeks. Unlike previous utility-guided approaches, Nest users can always retake control if they genuinely can't stand the heat. Only Austin Energy, Green Mountain Energy, Reliant and Southern California Edison have lined up for the synced climate control so far, although Nest is sweetening the deal by expanding utility-based discounts for the thermostat itself. Customers of National Grid can get an immediate $100 rebate through Nest, while those who sign up with Reliant can still receive their thermostats for free with certain plans. The deals are calculated tradeoffs for companies likely to recoup their investment down the road, but they could represent big wins for homeowners still jittery about paying up front to save money later.
